The LatinNews Podcast is a fortnightly deep dive into key developments from across Latin America and the Caribbean.
Real insights from the region’s sharpest minds.
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Season 2 | Episode 63
On The LatinNews Podcast this week, we look at the results of the recent presidential elections in Bolivia and the challenges ahead for president-elect Rodrigo Paz.
Can this pragmatic leader respond creatively to tests including, a contracting economy, the current decline in the MAS party, the revisitation of diplomatic ties between the country and the United States, the Lithium question and regional relationships.
In a far-reaching conversation with Martin Mendoza-Botelho, Professor of Political Science at Eastern Connecticut State University, we discuss Bolivia's immediate needs and how for the first time in a long time, the Paz presidency is one of pragmatism over ideology, for now.
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In this episode we discuss:
• Bolivia’s post-election political landscape
• Decline of the MAS party
• Economic slowdown and lithium strategy
• Shifting relations with the United States
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Professor Martín Mendoza-Botelho
Martín Mendoza-Botelho is Professor of Political Science and Assistant Department Chair at Eastern Connecticut State University. With a Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge, his research focuses on political economy, institutional reform, and democratic processes in developing countries, with a particular emphasis on Latin America and his home country of Bolivia.
Before entering academia, he worked for the Organization of American States (OAS) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) in Washington, D.C.
He serves as Chair of the Bolivia Section of the Latin American Studies Association (LASA) and previously held the role of Editor-in-Chief of the Bolivian Research Review journal.
In this episode, Mendoza-Botelho helps unpack the election of Rodrigo Paz, the declining influence of the MAS party, and the pragmatic shift in Bolivian politics as the country grapples with an economic downturn, lithium ambitions, and evolving ties with the United States.
The LatinNews Podcast is hosted by Richard McColl, a foreign correspondent in Colombia. Having first travelled to Colombia in the late 90s, McColl made the move to Bogotá in 2007. He holds a Diploma in Conflict resolution and a PhD in Social and Human Sciences both at Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá. He has worked as a journalist across Latin America.
Political Analyst, Richard McColl